The Untold Tale of Samantha Foster
by FandomTeen
Summary: Samantha is having terrible nightmares of her future, but she doesn't know until she meets Will and the boys. They attempt to help her to change her future unsuccessfully. She gets taken to the Upside Down where her future is unpredictable... Rated T for violence, theme, and just in case.
1. Visions and Dreams

I woke up sweating. _It was only a dream,_ I assured myself.

It felt so real. Too real. It was another dimension. Grey. Cold. Lifeless. Blood spattered floors. It looked like home, but an evil place. I had heard tales about a place kind of like that. A boy about my age, Will, I think, was taken by some faceless monster. Thank gosh it was only a myth. I got out of bed and went downstairs for some food. I felt the cold tile under my feet. I thought I saw blood on the ground. _It was only a dream,_ I assured myself again.

"Hey, Sam," I heard my brother say. "Couldn't sleep either?"

"Ryan! What are you doing up?"

"I said. I couldn't sleep."

Ryan was my annoying little brother. He turned nine three weeks ago.

I opened the freezer.

"The ice cream is mine," Ryan said. I sighed because that is exactly what I wanted.

"Don't eat too much," I said, "or mom and dad will know you've been out of your room past midnight."

He rolled his eyes and got a spoon.

"I'll just blame it on you. You know they'll believe me."

He was right. They always listen to him. He tossed me an apple.

"Really?" I asked. "An apple?"

"It's good for you," he said with a smirk. He turned around and went upstairs, taking the ice cream with him. I put the apple up and looked for something else. All of a sudden, I felt a chill, like someone was watching me. I turned around. I saw nothing but dark. The lights flickered.

"Hello?" I asked. My heart beat quickened.

"I forgot my spoon!" Ryan said. I gasped and jumped.

"Don't do that!" I said, relieved.

"Sorry!" He responded, laughing. He went back upstairs. I couldn't find anything to eat, so I got the apple. I started to go back upstairs, but I wanted to check the hallway. I stared into the dark, long foyer, but saw nothing. I went back upstairs, and I fell asleep with the light on.

"Samantha!" My mom yelled. I jolted awake. "You're going to be late for school!" I sighed. I could've used a bit more sleep. I didn't have any nightmares.

"Coming!" I shouted back. I quickly got dressed and got ready for school. "Sorry. I slept in," I said when I was downstairs. My mom tossed me a granola bar.

"What is it with this family and heath foods?" I wondered out loud.

"What?" My dad asked.

"Nothing," I responded quickly. "Bye," I told my parents. "Come on, Ryan," I said. "You don't want to be late to your first day of third grade." We walked to the garage and got on our bikes.

"See you, loser," Ryan said as he sped off. I rolled my eyes and took off after him.

I was halfway to school when I started seeing things again. The visions went on and off. It was a dark night. The boy in the myth was riding on his bike. His light flickered. The faceless monster appeared in front of him, and he swerved off the road. He fell off his bike, and he ran. I came back to my senses for a second. Then I had another vision.

"It's a street called Murkwood..." A boy said. I came back to my senses again.

"It's the demigorgon!" The same boy said as he placed a piece on a board. I shook my head, trying to get rid of these terrible visions, but I had another. A boy...wait. No. A girl, a weak and tired girl with a nosebleed was in a classroom laying on a table. The vision flashed. The faceless monster, the demigorgon broke in the room. A group of boys was trying to protect the girl. The vision flashed again. The demigorgon was up against the wall, and the girl was walkimg toward it. She looked back and said, "Goodbye, Mike." The vision flashed for the third time, and both the girl and monster were gone.


	2. The Meeting

"Look over there," said one of my friends, Alexis at lunch. "It's that freak from the myth." I looked over to the other side of the cafeteria where Will was sitting with his friends.

"I personally think he's kind of cute..." I responded.

"Whatever. He's a freak. I mean, who would make a myth about him?" She wondered.

"Stop it, Alexis. You sound like Troy." I said, pretending to laugh. _If Will is real, how much of the "myth" is real, too?_ I thought to myself. The bell rang, which brought me out of my thoughts. The students rushed out of the doors. I was absorbed in my own world again, when I accidentally ran into Will. He dropped his stuff.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," I apoligized. "Let me help you."

"No, no, it's fine. You don't have to help," he said. I bent down and started picking his stuff up anyway. After a while, he looked up and whispered, "You have the look of people I've seen in the Upside Down. You've had visions and dreams, haven't you?" I froze. "I-It's real? I thought it was a myth..."

"So that's what they've been saying?" He asked. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Mike, Dustin, Lucas and I can help you. My advice is don't cut yourself because the demigorgon is attracted to blood, and if it wants to test you, do not, do NOT follow any flashing lights. My mom told me that Mike's baby sister almost got taken that way."

"Oh, that would've been terrible!" I said. We got up and walked to math, my least favourite subject.

"Hello?" I was back in my nightmare world. I could see myself walking. I went past my house, "Murkwood", and a few other places I didn't recognize. "Where am I?" I wondered out loud. I had the urge to look behind me. I almost had a heart attack when I did. The girl from my vision was standing behind me with her head down.

"You-You're real, just like the rest of the story," I said. She slowly looked up. "Bad place," the girl said quietly.

"I'm in the Upside Down." I said to myself. I had always known, but I was denying it. "Who are you?" She showed my a tattoo on her wrist that said 011.

"Eleven?" I asked.

"Yes." She responded faintly.

"I'm Samantha." I held out my hand for her to shake. She just looked at it. This girl was weird.

"Will's friend?"

"Uh...yeah? And how exacly did you know?" And then I remembered she destroyed the demigorgon. "Is the demigorgon here? Is it alive?" She never got to respond. I heard an animal-like growl, and I turned around. I was face-to-face with the demigorgon.


	3. Getting Help

"Samantha!" I woke up with a gasp.

"What?"

"What are the first five digits of pi?" The math teacher asked me. I looked at Will.

"Umm...3.14938?" The teacher sighed. "Try to stay awake in class, Sam." He turned to the rest of the class. "Anyone want to help Ms. Samantha learn what I just went over when she was having dreams of cupcakes and rainbows?" No one raised their hand. "Shame," he said. The bell rang. Everyone rushed out of class. Someone grabbed my wrist. I looked back.

"Did you dream about the Upside Down?" Will asked quietly.

"Yes. Eleven's in danger." I responded.

"You met Eleven? She's alive?" He asked way too enthusiasticly. "I can't wait to tell Mike! See you!" And he ran off. I walked slowly to my locker. _Of course he doesn't like me._ I thought. _No one ever does._

"Why so glum?" Alexis scared me out of my thoughts.

"It's Will." I replied honestly. "He likes someone else."

"You can't be sure of it," she said apoligetically.

"Whatever," I said back. But then I remembered something. _"I can't wait to tell Mike,"_ he had said.

"Okay, maybe you're right, but I still think he likes Eleven."

"Who the heck is Eleven? Never heard of her in my life!"

"It-it's her nickname!" I lied.

"Whatever," she said. We walked to science, our next class. When I walked into the room, I had more visions of Eleven's death. It was the same as last time, but something was different. Instead of trying to wake up from the vision, I focused on it. Eventually, I could hear something. As Eleven walked toward the demigorgon in the vision, she said in my mind, _"Don't give into tempation. Don't follow anything suspicious. Do this, and you might not be taken."_ As far as I had heard, that was a lot for Eleven to say. As she finished, I heard her final words. _Goodbye, Mike._ And then everything went black.

"Samantha?" said a voice. I opened my eyes. It took a while for my vision to clear. "She's awake," said the same person. When my vision cleared, I saw Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin looking down on me.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Nurse's clinic," responded Dustin. "You were walking into science, then you froze and passed out. What happened?"

"Did you see Eleven?" Mike asked forcefully. "Is she okay? Is she alive? Did she say anything to you? Tell me exactly what happened. Is she in danger?"

"Guys! Lay off! She just woke up!" shouted Will over all the chaos.

"Thanks Will," I said.

"No problem," he responded softly. "Mike has been suffering after Eleven's..."

"Disappearence?" I finished for him.

"Yeah," he said. Mr. Clarke, my science teacher, came in the room.

"How is she?" he asked, clearly concerned.

"She's fine right now," responded Lucas.

"Thank you," he said back. "You boys head home. Her parents are coming.

"But this isn't any ordinary passing out," Will stated. "Mr. Clarke, she's having visions and dreams about the Upside Down." Mr. Clarke looked shocked and then said, "Okay, you can stay. Help her, okay?" The boys nodded. Mr. Clarke left the room.

"Tell us your vision," Mike said. I took a deep breath.

"It was about Eleven..." I started. "It started with her destroying the demigorgon. She spoke. Like a real, long sentence. She said something like "Don't follow anything suspicious" and warnings like that. But I get it! I won't do anything stupid and that kind of stuff."

"The demigorgon draws you in," Will instantly responded. "You can't easily resist. It takes all your mind and strength to not give in." The lights flickered. "And...don't say its name." Mr. Clarke busted into the room.

"Run," he said.


	4. RUN

We looked at each other and bolted out of the clinic, down the hall.

"It's going after you, Sam," said Will. "If you can escape and we get taken, at least I will be willing to do that."

"What? No! You're not going back," I responded.

"Window," Mike commanded. "If the monster comes, tell me." We nodded and guarded Mike as he opened the window. His fingers fumbled.

"Sam, help me open this!" he said frantically. We changed positions. The lights flickered. Time seemed to stop.

"I got it!" I said. We all piled out of the window, got back up, and ran.

"Come on!" shouted Lucas. "Where are we going?"

"Just run!" answered Will. "We'll find a place!"

"How?" asked Dustin, clearly scared. "The monster can always find us!"

"I don't know!" Will responded. "Keep on running! Don't stop!" We kept on running until we couldn't anymore. We were at Dustin's house. We ran into the living room.

"What do we do now?" Mike asked.

"Now we wait and hope for the best," Will answered looking down.

"Will," I said. "If we get taken and killed, I want to know why you wanted me to survive even if it meant you dying."

Mike nodded. "Tell her."

"I-I...like you, Sam," Will answered. The lights flickered. I heard the demigorgon growling. We all looked up.

"I like you too, Will," I said, only because we were going to die. I heard the terrible sound again. It came from the wall. I saw a shape coming out of the wall towards me. It was the demigorgon. We all stood still for a second and waited for death. We couldn't escape.

"Well! I supoose you have a good explanation of why you're home late!" Dustin's mom said, coming downstairs. We all gasped. The demigorgon was gone. For now, at least. Dustin's mom saw the rest of us and said, "I see you brought your friends home."

"Can you drive them home? Please?" Dustin asked.

"Why can't you ride your bikes?" she asked.

"It's...dangerous," he answered cautiously.

"Fine," his mom responded. "Get in the car."

We didn't say anything as we got in the car. Everything would be more dangerous now. Will sat beside me and grabbed my hand.

"No matter what happens, I will find you," he said looking straight into my eyes.

"We will," Mike added looking over the seat. "You're one of us now, Sam. Like Will said, no matter what happens, we will find you."

"Thanks guys," I said, putting my head on Will's shoulder.

"When I was in the Upside Down," Will started thoughtfully, "I contacted my mom through lights. Do you promise to do the same?"

"I promise," I said. "And I'll tell Eleven to do the same for you, Mike."

"Thank you," he responded. Then we remembered Dustin's mom. We all turned and looked at her.

"Can I ask what's going on?" she asked.

"I'll tell you later, mom," Dustin answered. We pulled up to my house and Will walked me to the door.

"Bye guys!" I shouted back at the car.

"Are you going to tell your family?" Will asked.

"No," I answered. "I know it's stupid, but I'm not going to tell them." Will nodded.

"Bye," I said as I hugged him. "Hopefully I'll see you later."

"You will. You're not going to be taken. I won't believe it." he responded.

"Well start believing," I said as I started crying. He wiped a tear off my face.

"It's going to be okay," he responded, clearly getting choked up, too. "I'll always be here for you. I will find you."

"I know you will," I answered. I turned around and opened the door. "I'll see you later then."

"Bye," he said. He turned and walked to the car with his head down. I walked inside.

"It's four o'clock!" my mom stated. "Where were you?" Then she saw I was crying. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I responded. I went upstairs and sat at my desk. I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and started writing.

 _I love you. The reason I was crying when I walked into the house after school that one time is because I didn't want to leave you or my new boyfriend, Will Byers. I have been taken to another world, the Upside Down, where a terrible monster, the demigorgon rules. I might die. I might be able to rescue Will's friend's girlfriend, Eleven. Will told me that when he was in the Upside Down (Yes, that Will. The myth is real.) he contacted his mom through lights. Pay attention. I'll try to do the same. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you all of this before I was taken. If I die, know that I love all of you. And again, I am so sorry I couldn't tell you this before. I love you_.

 _-Samantha_

I put the pen down and folded up the paper. I wrote on the front:

 _Only open this in case I get lost._

I put the pen down again. I got up and went downstairs with the paper in my hand. I handed it to my mom and said, "Only open this if I'm lost." My mom nodded, knowing something was going on. She went to her room to put it up. I went to the living room, turned on the TV, and crashed on the couch. A Coka Cola commercial started playing. I blacked out and had another vision.

Eleven was at Mike's house alone. The same commercial was playing. She closed her eyes and had a flashback. She was in a lab. A Coke can was on the table she was sitting at. She stared at it and concentrated. It crushed. She opened her eyes and was back at Mike's house. I woke up. Ryan was staring down at me.

"Poop. You're not dead. I shouldn't get my hopes up," he said. I rolled my eyes and got up.

"Did you ever bring that ice cream back downstairs?" I asked, disappointed that my parents didn't hear me.

"No. It's in the trash. I ate it all," he responded.

I got off the couch and went upstairs to my room. I got off the couch and went upstairs to my room. I thought about what I wanted to do before I was taken. I sat at my desk and pulled out another sheet of paper. I made a list that said:

1\. Spend more time with Will

2\. Learn survival stuff

3\. Eat chocolate ice cream (Ryan...)

4\. Just have fun

I put my pen down and looked at the list. Number four would be hard, knowing that I could die in a few days. I sighed and looked at the clock. It was already six. Where did the time go? Was the dream that long? I thought to myself. I got up to make a sandwich and go to bed. I went downstairs. I guess I had a troubled look on my face, because my mom asked, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Nothing," I responded. "Just getting a sandwich." When I was done eating I went upstairs to get ready for bed. When I was done, I quickly fell asleep and had the worst nightmare of them all.

A tall, red haired girl was in the Upside Down. She was in an old pool.

She was trying to escape the demigorgon. She crawled up a ladder; only to be dragged back down. She fought as much as she could. She lost her grip of the side of the rails, and fell down screaming. The demigorgon killed her.

I woke up with a gasp and started seeing things again. I saw corroded blood all over my walls. Everything was gray. Then it was back to normal. I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't. I got up and went downstairs. This time, Ryan wasn't up. I looked in the freezer. Like Ryan said, there wasn't any ice cream. Just like last time, I got an apple. I went upstairs again, and tried to sleep. My nightmare kept on playing in my mind. _That could happen to me,_ I thought. _I could die and never be able to see Will again._ I couldn't get rid of that thought. After about two hours, I finally fell asleep again.

"Get up, loser," Ryan said as he threw a pillow at me. "Can't always be late." I groaned and sat up. I looked over at the clock. "Seven o'clock? Why didn't you get me up before?"

"We tried," Ryan snapped. "Now get off your lazy butt and come downstairs!" I got out of bed and got ready at the speed of light. When I was downstairs, my mom gave me the evil eye.

"Second day in a row you've slept in," she said angrily. "Get some breakfast." I put a bagel in the toaster and waited. I thought about my nightmare again. _That poor girl._ I thought. _I hope that's not what happens to me._ The bagel popped up. I ate it quickly and left for school whether Ryan was following or not. I needed to talk to Will and the boys about the dream.

"Her name was Barb," Mike said once I had explained the dream at lunch. "She was my sister's best friend." I looked over at Alexis who was sitting at the other side of the cafeteria.

"If my fate is like Barb's-" I started.

"It won't be," Will cut me off putting his hand on my arm.

"Maybe," I continued. "But if it is, tell Alexis what happened." The boys nodded.

"We will," said Dustin. "We all will." The boys nodded again.

"But that won't happen to you," Lucas said. "Think about the people who care for you if you get taken. There's Alexis, Will, your family, Mike, Dustin, me, Eleven, Mr. Clarke, and other people." I nodded.

"Fine," I responded. "I'll try." The bell rang. I walked out of the cafeteria into the hall. All of a sudden, I felt really weird. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. I felt like I was underwater. I thought I heard someone scream. Someone was taken to the Upside Down. As soon as I realized that, I blacked out.


	5. Taken

At about three, I came to my senses. The boys were standing over me like they were last time.

"Did this ever happen to you?" I asked Will. "All these black outs?"

"No," he responded. "I don't know why they are happening to you. Tell me everything that happened."

"Well first I was walking out of the cafeteria," I started, "and then everything felt weird. The world looked like it was in slow motion. I felt like I was underwater. I heard someone scream as they were taken to the Upside Down. Then I blacked out." Will looked at Mike.

"That's impossible, unless..." he said slowly.

I cut him off. "Unless it was me. My future." He looked at me and started crying.

"I'm so, so sorry," he said in tears. "I don't want to be apart from you. I don't know when this is going to happen. I love you."

I started tearing up. "I love you, too, Will," I responded, also in tears. "I don't want to leave you." He pulled me into a hug.

"I will find you," he said. "I will always find you."

After I was fully recovered, I went home. When I walked in the house, my mom met me at the door.

"Where were you?" she demanded.

"Oh, umm..." I started, "I was with some friends." She didn't respond. I dropped my stuff and headed to my room. I layed down on my bed. _I really don't want to leave,_ I thought. _I want to stay on Earth for Will._ I sighed and got up.

"Mom, I'm going out for a bit!" I called.

"Just be back by seven!" she responded.

"'Kay!" I said back. I went out the door and got on my bike. I rode over to Will's house, went to the door, and knocked. His mom answered.

"Hi," I started. "I'm Samantha, Will's girlfriend. Is he here?" She smiled.

"Yes, he's here. I'm Joyce. I've heard a lot about you," she responded. "Will?" she called into the house. He came to the door.

"Sam! Are you okay? Did something happen?" he asked.

"No," I answered. "I just want to spend time with you." He looked at his mom for permission. She nodded, and he went out the door.

"Bye, mom!" he said. She waved. Will got on his bike. "So where are we going?"

"I don't know," I said. "Got any places?" He stood there, thinking for a second.

"Follow me," he responded. "I know a good place." I got on my bike and followed him down the road. After a while, we pulled into a place that looked like a car dump. "Eleven, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas came here when they were hiding from the lab," he explained. "When you aren't running from people trying to kill you, it's a good place to hang out alone." We sat down on the ground.

"Tell me more about the Upside Down, so I know what to expect." I said. He sighed and started explaining that awful place.

"So there is blood everywhere. The dem- the monster shows no mercy. He constantly hunts you down to kill you. Monsters attack you. Unamed species. Deadly creatures. They all hunt to kill. They look for people lost in that unearthly, terrible place. It's like home, but bloody and corroded. It's gray and cold. You need to constantly be looking behind your shoulder. Trust no one and nothing. Every moment could be your last." Will was obviously petrified. I put my arm around him.

"It's okay," I said softly. "You don't have to continue. What you said helped." He put his head on my shoulder.

"It's terrible," he summed up. "Absolutely terrible."

Later, when I was back at home alone with Ryan, I was thinking about what Will said on our date. _Now I really don't want to leave,_ I thought. _Life is too good right now._ I layed down on my bed thinking about that. I was walking in the hallway, thinking about the Upside Down, when I heard a voice.

"Samantha?" called a small, child-like, singsongy voice. "Don't you wanna come play?" It sounded like Ryan years ago, when he used to beg for someone to play with. "We could have so much fun together!" I walked slowly toward the voice. "I won't hurt you," said the voice again. I walked to the room where the voice came from; Ryan's room. "Please, please come play with-" His voice cut off when I swung open the door. His eyes were a shade of milky white. He sat on his bed staring at me. Time seemed to stop. I heard a noise. I looked up slowly. I was able to catch a glimpse of the demigorgon before it snatched me up, and took me to the Upside Down.


	6. The Upside Down

I screamed as I was taken to the Upside Down. As I crossed into the new world, I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes, I heard the demigorgon growl. I got up and ran. This was it. It had happened. I was taken. I could die. I might not see Will again. I ran and ran, and I didn't stop. I wanted to go home. The Upside Down was just as Will had described. Just like home, but cold, gray, and lifeless. Everything was corroded and bloody. It was truly traumatizing. I looked behind my shoulder. I had lost the demigorgon. Or so I thought. When I looked ahead again, it was standing in front of me. I skidded to a stop and turned around. By now, I was panting and my legs were cramping from running so much. I had passed Dustin's house. I glanced behind my shoulder. I saw the demigorgon not that far back. I saw Castle Byers ahead of me. _If I can make it there_ , I thought, _I might be safe._ I dove into Will's hideout. I was shivering from the cold. _How on Earth am I supposed to communicate through lights?_ I wondered to myself. I would find a way. I glanced to the corner of the fort. There was a walky-talky. I went to it quickly and picked it up.

"Do you copy?" I said. "Will? Mike? Lucas? Dustin? Whoever? Do you copy?"

"Yeah, I copy," I heard Will say on the other side. "What is it? Over."

"How do you communicate through the lights? Over." I asked.

"What? You're really staticy. I can't hear you. Over."

"The lights. How do you communicate through them? Over."

"You pick them up and focus on what you want to say. Why? Over."

"I was taken, Will. I'm in Castle Byers right now. Over."

"Do you see the backpack by the enterance? Over." he asked.

"Yeah. Over." I reaponded.

"Put the lights and walky-talky in it. There's food in there, too. You see the lights, right? Over." he sounded really shaken up.

"Yeah. I got it. Over."

"Okay. My mom painted the alphabet on the wall when I was in the Upside Down so we could communicate. I could put lights back up. Over."

"Sounds good," I said. "I miss you already. Over."

"I miss you too." he responded. "Over and out." I put the walky-talky in the backpack. I was planning to rest a bit, but I wasn't able to. The demigorgon had found me. I heard the growl. I looked up terrified. I froze for a second, then ran. I sprinted all the way to Will's house. I took the lights out of the backpack and concentrated. _I-t f-o-u-n-d m-e,_ I tried to tell him.

"Where are you?" I heard him say faintly. _I-n y-o-u-r l-i-v-i-n-g r-o-o-m._

 _W-h-a-t d-o I d-o?_

"Stay there for a while," he commanded. "I'll contact the chief immediately." K-a-y. I told him, just so he knew I was still there. I waited a bit. I didn't hear anything. _W-i-l-l?_ I called.

"Yeah. Still here. Can't get to the chief. I'll find a way." I heard the demigorgon. _I h-a-v-e t-o g-o._ I told him.

"I love you," he said. _U t-o-o._ I said. Then, I ran.


	7. Searching

I sighed as a tear slid down my face. I didn't care. My girlfriend could die. I kept on, and kept on trying to contact the chief. He never answered. I was mad. I shot up and screamed as I flipped over the table. I fell back again, sobbing.

"Will?" my mom asked running into the living room. "Are you okay?" She saw the broken glass on the floor.

"She's gone," I said. "She's in the Upside Down." My mom came and sat beside me and put her arm around my shoulder.

"If you need anything, you can come to me. I know how hard this is for you." she said, trying to confort me.

"I wish I could talk to Johnathan too." I said. He had recently gone to college.

"I know," mom said. "It's okay. We'll visit him. Would that help you?"

"I honestly don't know," I responded, still crying. "This is just really hard, and it's only the first day. I can't imagine being without her."

"You're inseparable. You really love each other. Keep in mind, she told you first. Not her parents." I sighed.

"Yeah, I guess." I was heartbroken. She could die. My mom got up and went to the kitchen.

"I'll make cookies," she offered, trying to cheer me up a bit. I headed to my room. I needed to be alone for a bit. I remembered my promise to her. _I will find you,_ I had said. _I will always find you._ I'm not sure that would be easy, but I'll try. I played the mixtape that Johnathan made for me. The first song that came on was Should I Stay or Should I Go. It was the song I sang to myself in the Upside Down. I thought about when Johnathan introduced me to the song. Life was almost without a care then. I really missed him and Sam.

"Cookies are ready!" my mom called. I walked slowly to the kitchen. I needed to talk to Mike. He knows what it's like to have a girlfriend in the Upside Down. When I got to the kitchen, a cookie and a glass of milk were already at the table for me.

"Thanks mom," I said.

"No problem."

"Hey could I go to Mike's house? I could talk to him about losing Sam."

"Of course sweetie, but you didn't lose her. She's alive." I nodded as I ate my cookie. _It's true,_ I thought. _I didn't lose her. I can talk to her. But it still hurts._ Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I stood up and opened it. I couldn't believe who was there. I stood frozen in shock for a second.

"Eleven?"


	8. The Portal

It was day three. I was starting to doubt that Will would find me. I hadn't talked to him since I was in his living room. I limped through the Upside Down. My leg was cut and bloody. My face was bruised. My clothes were torn. Slime covered my hair. In other words, I looked like a zombie. I pulled out the lights from the backpack. _W-i-l-l,_ I said.

 _I'm here, Sam!_ I heard him say. _You will never guess what happened._

 _W-h-a-t?_ I asked.

 _Eleven is here. When you went to the Upside Down, the portal was open long enough for her to escape._ _C-o-o-l._ _She's with Mike. It's fine. No one could ever replace you._ _Y-o-u r-e-a-d m-y m-i-n-d._ _Will? Are you talking to Sam?_ I heard his mom ask. _Yeah,_ he responded.

 _It's time for school,_ she said, _but you can be late._ I didn't realize what time it was. My watch was starting to mess up, and you can't tell time in the Upside Down.

 _G-o t-o s-c-h-o-o-l_ , I told him. He didn't respond, indicating he had already gone. I passed by Castle Byers. I had walked in a circle. What if the demigorgon was waiting for me here? I turned around. The demigorgon was behind me. I stumbled back, turned around, and ran. I could feel it's hot breath on my back. I heard it growl. I ran even faster. I was losing it. I lost balance. I fell and rolled down a hill. My leg broke. I screamed and blacked out.


	9. The Letter

I paced across the living room. "Where is she? It's been three days!" I demanded harshly.

"Mom," Ryan got my attention. "The letter. The one in your room. Remember?" I remembered the letter Sam gave me several days ago. I rushed to my room and opened it. My husband and Ryan followed. I stifled a sob. She could die! I buried my head in my husband, Nick's, shoulder. He took the letter from me and read it carefully. I looked up at him, and I could tell that he was crying too.

"Let me see!" Ryan demanded. I sat him down on my bed and explained the letter.

"Your sister is not lost. We know where she is. Do you know the myth about the boy named Will?"

"Yeah," he said, "but what does that have to do with this?"

"Sam is in the Upside Down." Ryan sat in shock for a few seconds.

"No..." he started. "It can't be. I didn't get to say goodbye." A tear ran down his cheek. He stood up and ran upstairs. I looked at Nick.

"Let's call the chief," I suggested. He ran to the phone and dialed his number.

"Yes," he started. The chief had answered. "Yes. This is Nick Foster. I believe you know the Upside Down pretty well, unless I'm mistaken?" There was silence on the other end. "I don't think you understand, chief. Our daughter was taken there." He waited for a few seconds then responded, "Yes. Thank you. You won't be sorry!" He hung up the phone. "He'll help us!" I smiled in victory.

"Hopefully he helps successfully," I said in doubt.

"Angie, we're going to be fine," he answered. "We'll find Sam if it's the last thing we do."


	10. The Search Party

That night, I couldn't sleep. I was too concerned about my sweet daughter.

"Nick?" I asked quietly, to see if he was awake. No response. I rolled over and tried to forget the pain Sam could be going through. My eyes teared up as I thought about the letter. _I should've been a better mom_ I thought as the tears were running down my face. I had the feeling that I would never be able to see my beautiful daughter again. I usually trusted my gut, but this time I didn't want to. I stifled a sob. _It's not fair_ I thought to myself. _Why couldn't it have been me?_

The alarm on my clock woke me up.

"The search!" I gasped. "Nick! Wake up! We need to look for Sam!" He groaned and rolled over to face me.

"What time is it?" he asked groggily. I looked at the clock.

"Umm...five o'clock," I responded sheepily. He sighed and got up.

"Should we get Ryan?"

"Yeah. I'll get him." I ran upstairs. "Ryan! Wake up! We're going to the Upside Down with the chief to look for Sam." He got up quickly.

"Let's go!" he said, excited.

"I'll call him," I responded. I went back downstairs and called the chief.

"Hello?"

"Yes. This is Angie, Nick's wife. I believe he called you last night?"

"Yes, yes. Nick. So are you calling because you want to leave now? To look for Sam?"

"Yes. Please, chief. You are our only hope!"

He sighed. "Fine. Get your family and let's go."


	11. A Last Search

"Let's split up," chief said when he, Nick, Ryan, and I were in the Upside Down. I nodded and went my way. The Upside Down was scarier than I thought. It was home. But it was evil. Scary. Doomed. I suddenly felt it even more urgent to find Sam. I quickened my pace.

"Sam?" I called. Nothing. Just the echo of my own voice and a long, narrow path. It was silent. A light flickered. I sighed and almost gave up hope. Almost. I remembered that Sam said she could communicate through lights. I ran down the path the light was on.

"Sam? Sam! I'm here!" I called. I was so happy to see my daughter again! I kept on running eagerly. I could tell I was getting to a valley. Sam always loved valleys. I ran faster.

"Sam!"

Nothing. It was a dead end. I turned around and realized I should've given up when I had the chance. It was too late now. I screamed and stumbled back. It was the demigorgon. I tried to run, in vain. I hit the dead end. I whimpered as the demigorgon got closer. I let out one, long scream and took my last breath...


	12. The Hunt

I walked with the chief since I wasn't old enough to be by myself.

"We'll find her, won't we, chief?" I asked, concerned.

"We will," he said, determined. "We will, or your dad, or your mom."

"What if they run into the demigorgon?" I asked.

"Then they run like hell."

I looked around. This place was frightening. I would probably have nightmares.

"Chief, I'm scared." I said. "Can we please leave soon?"

"Once we find Sam, we can leave and go to the hospital."

"And when will that be?" The chief looked at a wall beside us.

"It will be now."

p.2

"Angie? Nick? Do you copy?" The chief called into the walky-talky.

"Yeah, I copy," Nick answered, choked up.

"What's wrong, dad?"

"Your mom won't be coming back." I sat in shock.

"We found Sam," the chief continued. "We're at the Byers' house."

"Okay. I'll try to find my way there without being maimed or killed."

"Okay. I'll see you soon." The chief put up the walky talky. "I'm so sorry," he said, looking at me.

"It's fine. We just have to focus on getting Sam to the hospital." C hief nodded.

"I'm here," my dad said, running up to us, carrying my mom's body. I looked at her. She was covered in green slime and blood. Her face was frozen in a scream.

"Mom..." I whispered, tearing up. I never got to say goodbye. I looked up at my dad, and I noticed the tear stains on his face.

"We need to find a portal, and get Sam to the nearest hospital," the chief said. My dad and I nodded.

"Let's go."


	13. The Demigorgon

I pondered about my most recent kill. A mom, with a family and children. I smiled on the inside. _It was that girl's mom_ I came to the conclusion. I walked around the Upside Down, my home, of which I ruled. All of a sudden, I had a feeling. A feeling that someone was trying to escape. I couldn't allow that. I ran and ran until I found the source of that feeling. I looked around. There was no one there.


	14. Coma

"Well hurry up, why don't you?" the chief muttered under his breath. I raced by Sam's gurney. My girlfriend was finally home. A doctor shone a light in Samantha's eyes.

"Coma," he said. We ran Sam into her room.

"Stay behind the glass," another doctor said. The door shut in my face. _Coma._ I thought. _It couldn't be._ I put my hand on the glass. _What if she never wakes up?_ I thought as a tear slid down my cheek. I sighed and turned away. I couldn't bear to see my girlfriend like this. But I also couldn't bear to be away from her. I sat down and started crying. I just couldn't help it. My girlfriend came back from the Upside Down, only to be in a coma. I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder. I looked up.

"Mike? Johnathan? Mom?" I looked up and saw my friends and family standing there. My mom pulled me into a hug.

"She'll wake up. I'm sure of it," she assured me. Dustin put his hand on my shoulder. Eleven came and sat down beside me.

"She'll be okay," she said. A nurse opened the door.

"You can come in now," she said. I rushed in by Sam's side.

"Samantha," I started, "It's Will. I know you probably can't hear me, but I love you and I'm so glad you're back. Wake up for me, okay? Please." I started to cry again. Johnathan and Mom came in to comfort me. I turned around and almost walked out of the room, when I heard a weak voice.

"W-will?" I heard Sam whisper.

"Sam!" I ran to her side and hugged her. "Sam. You're okay!"

"Yeah," she laughed. "You said you would always find me. We found each other again." I nodded. She was okay. She was alive. The rest of my friends rushed in.

"Hey guys!" she said in her usual peppy voice, only a bit weaker. They all hugged her. She looked at Eleven.

"Well, if it isn't the famous El, and in person!" she exclaimed. El looked down.

"I'm glad you got back safe," she added. She pulled Eleven into a hug.

"Bad people."

Sam's smile vanished. "What?"

"Bad people. Leave."

"The nurses? Doctors? They're bad?"

"Yes," El said, looking around frantically. "Leave."

"We should go," Will said. "Now." He helped me off of my bed. We walked as fast as we could out of the hospital, with Will helping me on the way. I glanced behind my shoulder. A doctor ran out of the doors.

"Hey!" he shouted. A swarm of people came out after him. They weren't doctors, or nurses.

"Bad people," Eleven said, panicked. We got in the car and sped off, the "bad people" chasing after us. We drove to Mike's house, because of the basement. We hid there, scared for our lives. We heard the door open. We held our breath.

"Mike?" his mom said. We all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Down here," he responded. She came down the stairs.

"Why are you down here?" she asked. She turned on the light and saw us all there. When she saw Sam, it looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"Yo," she said with a smirk.

"Y-yo," she responded, shaken up.

"There are bad people after us," I explained. "Sam was in the hospital, and it turned out the doctors weren't doctors at all." Sam nodded.

"I'll keep watch," Mrs. Wheeler offered. "I'll say something if they come." She turned off the light and went back upstairs. We were all quiet, waiting for those bad people who wanted to kill us. There was a knock at the door.

"Mike? Is that you?" his mom asked.

"Crap," Sam said. "How will we get out?" I held her hand in fear.

"I have a plan," I said. They all listened to me as I talked. Mike's mom opened the door.

"Are Mike and his friends home?" the main doctor asked. Mrs. Wheeler didn't respond. They busted past her and opened up the door to the basement, where we were waiting.

"Where are they?" someone asked. All of the bad people came into the room, but they didn't see us. We were standing up against the wall behind the door. We snuck up the stairs, closed the door, and locked it. I sat down, breathing a sigh of relief. Someone pounded against the door.

"Let us out!" he shouted.

"Not gonna happen," Sam responded as she dragged a chair against the door.

"There," she said.

"I'll take you guys home," Mrs. Wheeler offered. We got in her car. We said nothing as she drove to my house. We were all too shaken up to think. We just had a near death experience. She pulled up to my house. Me, Johnathan, and my mom got out of the car. When we got inside, we were finally able to breathe. I walked to the kitchen to get something to eat. I opened the fridge and froze. My knees buckled and I blacked out.


	15. Home at Last

When Mrs. Wheeler dropped my remaining family off at my house, I raced to the door and ran inside. My dad and brother came in after me.

"I'm home," I whispered. My dad put his arm around me and Ryan awkwardly came up and hugged me. We stayed there a few seconds until I broke away.

"Mom never got to see me again," I realized with a shock. I went upstairs and layed on my bed. All of a sudden, my room turned into the Upside Down. My eyes widened with shock. _Was me coming back just a dream?_ I thought. I got up and went downstairs. It was the same as my room, and no one was down there.

"Dad? Ryan?" I called. No answer. I walked out the door, and went down the deserted street, usually so full of action. I looked up. The heavy, gray clouds above me flashed red. I looked in front of me. A huge monster came out of the clouds. It looked like it was made of shadows. And it was coming for me.

p.2

"Sam?" My dad broke me out of my vision. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I responded. "Just...just needed some fresh air." I walked back inside. Before closing the door, I looked behind my shoulder. Everything was normal. The sky was blue and clear, nothing was corroded or bloody, and there were kids in the street. _Is this what Will_ _was experiencing?_ I wondered. I sighed and closed the door. It was just me. I was going crazy. I sat on the couch and thought about my mom's death. It was my fault she died. She was looking for me. If I had told them, they could've helped me. It was all my fault. I was cursed. Ryan came and sat down beside me.

"I owe you some chocolate ice cream," he said with his head down. I put my arm around him.

"It's fine, little bro," I answered. "You don't owe me anything." He looked at me and smiled.

"You know," he started, "maybe you're not such a bad sister after all."


	16. Epilogue

It was a year later. Our family had finally come together again. I was in the eighth grade, and Ryan was in fourth. Will and I were still together. As I sat, listening to music, I thought about all that had happened the past year. _It all started with a dream,_ I thought. _Then, I got my first boyfriend, Will. After that, I got taken to the Upside Down. My family came to look for me. There, my mom passed away. I came back to Earth in a coma. I was chased by evil doctors. Ryan and I grew closer. We had the funeral for my mom. Alexis moved to California. I met Lucas's girlfriend, Max. She became my new best friend. And here I am now._ I sighed, satisfied with the mental list that I made. I stood up and turned off the radio.

"Ryan?" I called.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Wanna go somewhere?"

"Yes!" He immediately came downstairs. We got on our bikes and rode down to the old-fashioned soda shop. I ordered an ice cream sundae, and Ryan ordered two ice cream cones.

"Are you eating those both?" I laughed.

"No..." he answered as he glanced over to a girl his age. I smiled.

"It's fine. Sit with her."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Go ahead."

"Thanks, Sam!" He hugged me, grabbed the cones, and walked over to the girl. I sat close to them so I could hear their conversation.

"Hi, I'm Ryan." he said, handing her the ice cream. She looked up and smiled.

"I'm Lizzie."

"Can I sit here?"

"Of course!" she motioned to the seat. I sat and ate my sundae as they talked some more.

"I should go. My mom would be mad if I stayed longer. Thank you so much for the ice cream!" Lizzie eventually said.

"Any time!" Ryan answered. They stood up and hugged. He had been successful. He ran over to me, smiling.

"Well, Sam," he started. "I have a girlfriend!"

"That's great!" I answered. We left the store and rode home.

"Max came by," my dad said as we walked inside. "She said it's urgent."

"I'll be back soon," I responded. I got on my bike and rode to Max's house as fast as I could. I didn't even knock, when the door swung open quickly. Max had been crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"My brother was taken."

Epilogue p.2

One year later. Billy, Max's brother hadn't come back. Will, Max, and I were walking down the halls of the Hawkins highschool, when we saw someone at their locker. She looked an awful lot like Alexis.

"I'll...be back," I said. I walked over to the girl. She closed her locker and jumped when she saw me.

"S-Sam?" she asked.

"Alexis! How was California?"

"Oh my gosh, it was so great! A lot better than Hawkins." She looked around in disgust. She had really changed a lot. "It feels odd, not being popular. Not having people skateboard everywhere. Not having hot guys surfing at the beach. You know?"

"Yeah..." I answered, unsure if this was really Alexis at all. The bell rang. "Well, I need to go. Bye." I walked away, back to Max and Will.

"How was it?" Will asked, putting his arm around me. I leaned into him.

"She's not the same. She's a stuck-up, arrogant, boy crazy brat."

"Sounds like a great friend," Max said sarcastically.

"For real," I laughed. We walked to science. As we took our seats, a new girl walked in. Our teacher introduced her to the class.

"Class," he started, "this is Auburn Irene DeShaw. She comes all the way from Paris, France!" She came and sat down behind me.

"I'm Sam," I told her. "Welcome to Hawkins."


End file.
